Karachi—Pakistan crushed a hapless
Bangladesh by ten wickets in the inconsequential
last Super League match in the Asia Cup after
paceman Abdur Rauf took a career-best 3/24 at
National Stadium on Friday. The 29-year-old
rattled Bangladesh’s top order to help Pakistan
bowl out the visitors for just 115 in 38.2 overs
after the tourists won the toss and elected to
bat in overcast conditions. Pakistan openers
Nasir Jamshed scored 52 not out and Salman Butt
made an unbeaten 56 to see the home team through
at a canter.
Dubai—After weeks of backroom manoeuvring and
two days of boardroom negotiations, the Zimbabwe
issue was resolved with a compromise that sees
them pulling out of the 2009 World Twenty20 in
England yet retaining their Full Member status
with access to full funding from the ICC.
Zimbabwe, whose decision to pull out from the
World Twenty20 cleared the roadblock for the
competition to be staged in England, will
receive its full participation fee for the
tournament. The scenario prompted Ray Mali,
whose term as ICC president ended today, to call
it a “win-win solution”.
Lahore—A
Pakistani court on Friday said Shoaib Akhtar was
free to play cricket again after suspending an
18-month ban imposed on the paceman by the
country’s cricket authorities for indiscipline.
A judge at Lahore High Court ruled that the
32-year-old Akhtar should be allowed to play
until his appeal against the ban is heard, most
likely in September.
